by Teresa Kok

The issue of PAS’s intention to table a Private Member’s Bill on hudud law in Parliament has become a hot media topic and political debates.

Over the last one week, I have received many calls from party supporters asking me why PAS is bent on tabling the Bills when it is going to derail Pakatan Rakyat’s plan to capture Putrajaya in the next election.

I wish to stress that hudud implementation or Islamic state establishment is not part of Pakatan Rakyat (PR)’s common policy and they were not included in PR’s 2013 election manifesto.

PAS must understand that as partner of PR coalition, it must respect and accept the common policies of PR.

It is not a secret that it has been the wish and agenda of BN and Umno to see the breakup of PR.

This is why Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom had in Parliament on March 27 instigated PAS to implement hudud on Muslims in Kelantan.

Jamil had said that “the federal government will be ready to work with any state government that is ready to implement hudud including Kelantan, because Umno Kelantan assemblypersons had supported the passing of Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II to implement hudud in 1993”.

The hudud controversy has provided BN with the biggest ammunition since the last general election to work towards the disintegration of PR.

I urge PAS to therefore be cautious and not fall into Umno’s political trap. It will be a setback for the people’s struggle for a better Malaysia if PR breaks up.

In the last general election, many Malaysians who were working or residing   in Singapore and overseas travelled back to Malaysia to cast their votes in support of PR as they wanted a better Malaysia for all.

Yet, one year after the general election, they, just like many PR supporters back home, find it unbelievable that there is a possibility of a break up of PR due to hudud law.

In fact, many PR supporters have also expressed their concern to me that irrespective if the Bill is finally tabled or not, the ongoing controversy has caused much negative impact on PR.

Hence, PAS should immediately announce that it will respect the PR common policy and drop its plan to table the Bills.

I also wish to stress the DAP’s position that hudud implementation is unconstitutional and is not suitable for a multi racial and multi religious Malaysia.